One person dies in Kerala waterfall due to flash flood caused by rains | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

One person dies in Kerala waterfall due to flash flood caused by rains

PTI |
Jul 31, 2022 10:35 PM IST

A senior forest official of the area said that as soon as they noticed the rainfall and change in water level they asked everyone to move out of the waterfalls but five people could not quickly move away to safety.

One person died and another got injured, both hailing from Tamil Nadu, after being swept away in a flash flood at Kumbhavurutty Falls -- a popular tourist attraction in this southern Kerala district -- due to the heavy rainfall in the surrounding forest area.

File photo of Kumbhavurutty Falls for representational purposes. (Twitter/@attoiofficial)
File photo of Kumbhavurutty Falls for representational purposes. (Twitter/@attoiofficial)

A senior forest official of the area said that as soon as they noticed the rainfall and change in water level they asked everyone to move out of the waterfalls but five people could not quickly move away to safety.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

However, forest officials managed to rescue three of them, while two got swept away with one of them hitting his head on the rocks at the bottom of the falls, the official said.

The two who got swept away had suffered injuries and were rescued, but one of them died later in the hospital, he said.

The forest official said that as a result of the incident, the waterfalls have been closed down till some security measures, like a safety net perhaps, are put in place to prevent anyone from being swept away or losing their balance and falling to the bottom of the falls.

The falls are primarily frequented by people from the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, the rains in parts of Kottayam district flooded eight houses in Kanjirappally taluk and also caused a landslide in Munnilav village in Meenachil taluk, the district officials said.

The water level of Meenachil river at Cherippad station also crossed the warning level due to heavy rainfall in the region since afternoon, officials said.

The central Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rains in Kerala till August 4 with orange alert being issued in various districts in the week ahead.

In view of the Orange alerts issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the coming week, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said those in hilly areas should be cautious and as a precautionary measure they should be shifted to relief camps as soon as rains start.

The Chief Minister, in a Facebook post, also said an order be issued prohibiting vehicular traffic to the hilly regions of the Western Ghats from 7 PM to 7 AM, district and taluk control rooms should be on alert 24X7, police and fire brigades should be ready for action and steps should be taken to prevent potential accidents due to trees, hoardings or posts being dislodged by strong winds.

He further said camps should also be set up in coastal areas and fishermen should not be allowed to go to sea.

Besides that, power houses and important institutions in low-lying areas which could get inundated due to the rains should take precautionary measures, water level in dams be monitored closely and the situation communicated to the district and state disaster management authorities in time, Vijayan said in his post.

He said people should be careful as, in the coming days, the rains were likely to intensify.

Orange alert has been issued in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Idukki districts of the state for August 1.

Orange alert has been issued in eight districts for August 2, 12 for August 3 and 12 on August 4, according to an IMD district rainfall forecast issued for Kerala at 1 PM on Sunday.

A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rains of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while orange alert means very heavy rains from 6 cm to 20 cm of rain. A yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 to 11 cm.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On